Tarrah Cooper is the Press Secretary for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Cooper, a Chicago native, began working with Rahm Emanuel in 2010 as the Deputy Press Secretary of his Mayoral campaign where she served as a primary spokesperson and helped to craft, manage and communicate his strategic vision and priorities for Chicago during a pivotal time in the City.

Before returning to Chicago, Cooper worked in the Obama Administration at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington D.C. where she helped to manage the Department's messaging, priorities and actions for numerous national incidents including the H1N1 epidemic, the December 25th underwear bomber and Times Square attempted bombings, the Haitian earthquake and the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Prior to that Cooper worked on the Obama-Biden Presidential Campaign in Florida, a state that played a vital role in President Obama's victory in the election. There she recruited, trained and managed community leaders and volunteers who actively worked to mobilize the community and increase voter contact. Also, Cooper was responsible for the execution of numerous community events which successfully enhanced the campaign’s visibility and community involvement throughout the region.

Cooper began her career as a general assignment reporter at KOMU-NBC 8 in Columbia, Missouri. Cooper graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in Journalism.

Cooper is a lifelong Bears fan, avid theater goer and loves to walk, run, bike and swim at the lake. Her favorite thing about the City is the charm, character and compassion of Chicagoans and she most enjoys tutoring children at Breakthrough Urban Ministries in East Garfield Park.